Waitlist advice for week of Dec 1-7

[heathpack]

I can get off work the week of Dec 1-7 but no other week of the holiday season.

I have 79 VGC points and want to set up waitlists. I'd like the longest stay possible but can live with a stay of 3 days.

I understand the basic principles: try to WL properties with more inventory, set up two WL with less number of days, and try to request less popular room sizes and weekends over week days.

Our first choice would be Jambo but strategically we will request Kidani instead, and we'd be happy with any of the other options. We prefer studios to stretch points but understand so does everyone else booking in the holiday season. In the end, we are ok with any resort that has non-bus transport to parks, and are ok with a single night on check in day at any resort regardless of transport options.

Would appreciate input on which of the following waitlists is most likely to be successful:

OKW Studio Thur Dec 4 + BW preferred 1Br Dec 5, ck out Sun Dec 7. 79 points
Strategy: WL 1: OKW, WL 2: BW

OKW Studio Tues Dec 2 + Kidani SV studio Wed Dec 3, check out Sun Dec 7. 78 points
Strategy: WL 1: Kidani W/Th, WL 2: Kidani Fr/Sa, try to add OKW by stalking or new WL if one of the others fills

BLT studio preferred Wed Dec 3, check out Sun Dec 7. 78 points
Strategy: WL 1: BLT Wed/Th, WL 2: Th/Fri

Thanks for any ideas

 

[sethschroeder]

I would be constantly checking for availability. I have more success manually doing it than the waitlist coming through.

Breaking up the stay is a good though and 1BR is going to be the most likely thing that will show up as well.

When you search I would do a search for all WDW resorts from Jan 1-7. It will then return all the rooms with the various lengths so you can do one search and find if any rooms have 3/4/5 nights together and then just click on the room and adjust the actual dates for the booking.

I think you will find something if you are open to all the resorts.

1BR is more likely than Studios
Non-preferred views at OKW/SSR/AKV
SSR > OKW > AKV is likely order

You might find other options though.

 

[heathpack]

I would be constantly checking for availability. I have more success manually doing it than the waitlist coming through.

Breaking up the stay is a good though and 1BR is going to be the most likely thing that will show up as well.

When you search I would do a search for all WDW resorts from Jan 1-7. It will then return all the rooms with the various lengths so you can do one search and find if any rooms have 3/4/5 nights together and then just click on the room and adjust the actual dates for the booking.

I think you will find something if you are open to all the resorts.

1BR is more likely than Studios
Non-preferred views at OKW/SSR/AKV
SSR > OKW > AKV is likely order

You might find other options though.

Sorry I guess I should have been more clear:
1. As I mentioned, we want to only stay at a resort that has non-bus options but we’re willing to stay the first night at OKW. The reason for this is that we’re driving down and will arrive at check in time and will not be visiting any parks on check in day. We are NOT interested in a multi day stay at OKW or SSR. If that’s the only option, we will bank points and use in 2026.
2. I did not mention this because I didn’t have any questions about doing so, but I will stalk availability frequently. However there is no down side to setting up a wait list, and that’s what I’m asking about doing in this thread.
3. I know how to search via stalking and don’t need to learn how to do so.

Thanks for your help though.

 

[sethschroeder]

Sorry I guess I should have been more clear:
1. As I mentioned, we want to only stay at a resort that has non-bus options but we’re willing to stay the first night at OKW. The reason for this is that we’re driving down and will arrive at check in time and will not be visiting any parks on check in day. We are NOT interested in a multi day stay at OKW or SSR. If that’s the only option, we will bank points and use in 2026.
2. I did not mention this because I didn’t have any questions about doing so, but I will stalk availability frequently. However there is no down side to setting up a wait list, and that’s what I’m asking about doing in this thread.
3. I know how to search via stalking and don’t need to learn how to do so.

Thanks for your help though.

Was confused as you had OKW/Kidani stays so didn't know you wanted close to park stays. So read it wrong.

In that case your looking at:
1BR > Studio
BWV (resort/garden), BRV, RIV (preferred)
Poly possibly because of declared room inventory

I covered mostly the stalking piece because I would bet on that even if you want resorts that are non-bus.

 

[heathpack]

Was confused as you had OKW/Kidani stays so didn't know you wanted close to park stays. So read it wrong.

In that case your looking at:
1BR > Studio
BWV (resort/garden), BRV, RIV (preferred)
Poly possibly because of declared room inventory

I covered mostly the stalking piece because I would bet on that even if you want resorts that are non-bus.

Sorry I was trying to be succinct when asking my question and not go into tons of details about our preferences. If we obtain our first choice (Kidani) we would likely do a resort stay except for maybe popping into AK and the bus piece doesn’t matter much. If we stay elsewhere we’d likely visit whatever park we can get to without riding a bus. Maybe it’s easier to just mention we don’t want to stay at OKW or SSR for anything other than check in day.

We’d be fine with Boulder Ridge but assumed it would be more difficult due to a lesser number of studios in inventory?

Poly would also be very attractive for us, I’ll have to count points for that stay.

 

[sndral]

Your 7 month window will open on 5/1/25 for a stay starting 12/1/25 - you never know, something you want might be available then & you won’t have to waitlist at all .
Based on numbers alone I’d wait list Poly standard view (currently called resort view?) & BWV preferred view.
Here are the park adjacent resorts w/ the most studios & no. of studios in the most available view w/ points needed for a 4 night stay starting Mon.12/1:
Poly - 288 standard (resort view) studios (76 points)
BWV - 164 preferred view studios (64 points)
Riv - 119 preferred view studios (80 points)
BLT - 105 lake view (preferred) studios (76 points)
VGF - 90 lake view resort studios (84 points)
That first week of December is really really tough to get - good luck.